Is Olmert's Coalition About To Crumble?

Something good may come out of Bush's visit after all.

One Jerusalem has a post that a member of Olmert's coalition is pulling out:

One Jerusalem has learned that one of the Olmert Government's key coalition partners (the Yisrael Beiteniu Party with 11 seats) will be pulling out of Olmert's government today: A direct result of Olmert launching negotiations over "core" issues (which includes the division of Jerusalem) with the Palestinians to satisfy the Bush Administration.

During the past month, as One Jerusalem provided a platform in Israel for Israelis to voice their support for a united Jerusalem, pressure has been building on Right-wing members of Olmert's coalition to leave the government. Today, we are told that Avigdor Lieberman will lead his political party out of the government.

This should not surprise anyone, recent polls have shown that Olmert continues to have the support of fewer than 10% of the Israeli population. President Bush's visit which led to direct talks with the Palestinians yesterday intensified the pressure on Lieberman and Shas to get out of this government which is intent on divided Jerusalem and throwing more Jews out of their homes.

With the Yisrael Beitenu leaving the pressure from the Israeli public on the 12 seat Shas Party to pull out will intensify. In short, Bush's negotiating partner in Israel appears to have a very short political life-span. [emphasis added]

The Jerusalem Post is reporting on Olmert trying to keep Lieberman in the coalition:

On Monday, sources close to Olmert said the prime minister would ask Lieberman to keep Israel Beiteinu in the coalition because of key decisions that would be made regarding Iran.

"We are in the middle of important meetings in the security cabinet on key issues that you initiated," the sources said Olmert would tell Lieberman, referring to Iran. "There is no concrete reason for you to go. I have discussed core issues with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for months. You can still have more impact from the inside."

Lieberman's associates said such talk would not be enough to keep him in the government. They said the fact that he had already planned a noon press conference at the Knesset on Wednesday was a good sign that he had decided to leave unless Olmert surprised him with a persuasive argument.

"If Olmert said the talks on the core issues were only for show or if he promised not to remove an outpost until Kassam rocket attacks stopped, that might change his mind," a Lieberman associate said.

Wait. and. see.

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